Heritage Preservation Education: Teachers’ Preconceptions and Teachers Implementation in Visual Arts Classes

Abstract

In Slovenia, teachers of the school subject visual arts (implemented at the primary level by primary school teachers and at secondary level by fine visual arts teachers) play a significant role in planning and implementing visual arts tasks with preservation concepts. With these activities, they can raise awareness of cultural heritage meaning, strengthening the nation’s cultural identity. Pupils should develop into active and responsible citizens who are able to understand heritage problems in general and express their sensitivity and respect for their cultural heritage and its preservation. The main purpose of this paper is to identify the teachers’ preconceptions about the preservation of architecture in the Slovenian countryside and the implementation of heritage preservation concepts in visual arts teaching. Altogether, 125 teachers from Slovenia participated in this study. The research revealed the teachers’ preconceptions regarding some problems in the Slovenian countryside, as well as sufficient awareness of the importance of the implementation in heritage preservation concepts in visual arts activities, according to contemporary professional guidelines. Teachers’ preconceptions reveal a lack of some basic knowledge of preservation concepts, which lead us to compare the results with the current guidelines. It can be concluded that greater emphasis should be placed on developing training programmes for teachers with specific preservation concepts and didactic materials for students in the field of preservation education with the aim of developing the students’ positive and responsible attitudes to those problems. More heritage preservation education content should be incorporated into pre- and in-service teachers’ education, and teachers should develop competences to implement these topics into their teaching.

Secondary School Students’ Response to Learning the Concept of Destruction and Transformation of an Artwork into Another Artwork in the Visual Arts Class

“…We recognise the potential for further research in connecting destruction with themes related to the preservation of cultural heritage, which, as Poto�nik (2020) notes, are also often insufficiently integrated into art education. Poto�nik (2020) suggests that informed art educators should 'guide students to become active and responsible citizens capable of understanding the issues and expressing their sensitivity and respect for cultural heritage and caring for it' (p. 50). Destruction can thus emphasise the fragility and temporality of cultural heritage, while preservation concerns its sustainability and the preservation of memory of the past.…”

Protecting Philippine Dance Traditions via Education of Tomorrow's Pedagogues: The Role of Individual Interest and School Engagement

“…Physical education teachers are responsible for providing their students with a wide range of learning opportunities that incorporate preservation concepts. By doing so, it can assist students in comprehending the need of preserving our intangible cultural heritage, which is essential to our national identity (Potočnik, 2020). Most importantly, this guarantees that future teachers will be able to effectively pass on their knowledge to the next generation and play a vital role in society.…”

Käsityötä etänä

“…Smith & Akagawa 2008). Perintötiedon materiaalisen välittyneisyyden lisäksi viimeaikaisissa käsityön opetukseen liittyvissä keskusteluissa on korostunut uudistava näkökulma käsityöhön, jossa taidoilla ja käsityönopetuksella on nähty olevan merkittävä rooli perinteiden kestävässä kehittämisessä (Kokko & Räisänen 2019;Potočnik 2020;Väänänen 2020).…”